Nintendo dropping Wii U price by $50 on September 21st, ahead of PS4 and Xbox One launch

Well, the Wii U's time as the only "next-gen" console on the market is about to come to an end. Its brief reign was marred by software bugs, missing features and a questionable price. Now with the PS4 and Xbox One preparing to launch an all out assault on the gaming market, Nintendo is trying to make its console-plus-tablet platform a little more alluring by dropping the price. Starting on September 20th, the Wii U will cost $50 less, making the deluxe bundle with 32GB of storage a slightly easier to digest $300. (The basic bundle, should you be able to find it, will remain $299.) At $100 less than the PlayStation 4 and $200 less than the Xbox One, it's not a bad option for those with smaller gaming budgets -- especially if those people happen to have kids or like to host parties. Of course, its library of available games still leaves something to be desired and its hardware is nowhere near as capable as its competitors, so it's not exactly a clear winner. If you were considering buying a Wii U, clearly your best bet now is to wait until at least September 20th for the new price to go into effect.

Update: A Wii U bundle that includes The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker HD , which we first reported last week, will also launch on September 20th for $300. That rig includes a black console, a GamePad with special branding, a download code for the digital version of Hyrule Historia, a book and a Nintendo eShop download code.

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo outlined a campaign that will offer consumers unprecedented levels of value and variety this holiday season. That proposition includes:

Nintendo 2DS, an entry-level dedicated portable gaming system that plays all Nintendo 3DS and Ninten ...
Nintendo 2DS, an entry-level dedicated portable gaming system that plays all Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS games in 2D, launches on Oct. 12, the same day as Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. (Photo: Business Wire)

A $50 price drop for the Wii U Deluxe Set to a new suggested retail price of just $299.99, effective on Sept. 20.

A limited-edition Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD launching on Sept. 20.
The introduction of Nintendo 2DS, an entry-level dedicated portable gaming system that plays all Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS games in 2D. Nintendo 2DS launches Oct. 12, the same day as Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, at a suggested retail price of $129.99.
Dates for an outstanding lineup of Q4 video games for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
The announcements demonstrate Nintendo's aggressive approach to providing new games and experiences available only on Nintendo platforms for all types of people this holiday season. Nintendo announced these items at the GameStop Managers Show in Las Vegas.

"Nintendo has one of the strongest and most diverse video game lineups in our history," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president and COO. "Today we're making those unique Nintendo experiences more accessible and affordable. However you play and whatever you play, Nintendo has you covered."

Nintendo 2DS

The newest member of the Nintendo 3DS family is designed specifically for anyone looking for a more affordable entry point into the world of Nintendo hand-held video games. Nintendo 2DS will be available in Red or Blue on Oct. 12 at a suggested retail price of $129.99.

Nintendo 2DS plays the entire library of packaged and downloadable games for Nintendo 3DS only in 2D. The system features a distinctive fixed, slate-type form factor, and optional carrying cases will be available in Red or Blue at launch at a suggested retail price of $12.99. Nintendo 2DS maintains many of the same hardware features as Nintendo 3DS: dual screens, game-play controls and touch-screen features. The system also has backward compatibility with the existing library of more than 2,000 Nintendo DS games, as well as access to wireless connectivity features like multiplayer online game play, fun Nintendo Video content and great digitally delivered games in the Nintendo eShop. To view a video of Nintendo 2DS, visit http://youtu.be/sAExBTWIp3M.

People eager to test drive the new system will have the chance beginning in October, when Nintendo 2DS joins a sampling tour in conjunction with Simon Malls that visits several different markets before it wraps up on Nov. 3. For more information about the tour, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

New Suggested Retail Price - Wii U Deluxe Set

Starting Sept. 20, the Deluxe version of Nintendo's Wii U system will be reduced in price by $50, to a new suggested retail price of just $299.99. The new price makes Wii U an even greater value, particularly with the strong lineup of Wii U games available and on the way for the system in 2013. These include Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, EarthBound, New Super Luigi U, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Super Mario 3D World and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Bundle

A new limited-edition Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD launches on Sept. 20 at a suggested retail price of $299.99. The bundle includes a black Deluxe Wii U console; a GamePad controller adorned with gold lettering, a gold Hyrule crest and gold symbols from the game; a download code for the digital version of Hyrule Historia, a book that details the chronology, history and artwork of The Legend of Zelda series; and a code that can be used to download The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD from the Nintendo eShop immediately at no additional cost.

The digital version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will also launch on Sept. 20, while the packaged version launches Oct. 4 with distinctive gold-foil packaging, both at a suggested retail price of $49.99. GameStop is also offering an exclusive Ganondorf figurine bundled with the packaged game at a suggested retail price of $54.99.

Q4 Games

The robust lineup of games on the way for Nintendo systems in Q4 includes:

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.1 billion video games and more than 655 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company's website at http://www.nintendo.com.